Molly Ringwald’s Best On-Screen Moments

By Sylvia Ogweng. 15 Feb 2018 4:49 PM

She reigned as the ultimate teen queen in the ’80s! Now, decades later, as Molly Ringwald prepares to celebrate the big 5-0, we’re looking back on her most memorable moments caught on film.

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'The Facts Of Life' (1979-1980)
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Despite being cut from the main cast after one season, Molly Ringwald impressed as the fast-talking activist, Molly Parker. The role was ahead of its time, openly tackling topics such as sexism and acts of injustice.

The NBC show, which was a spinoff of “Diff’rent Strokes”, follows housekeeper Edna Garrett, who cares for a group of rich girls at a private all-girl school.
'Sixteen Candles' (1984)
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In 1984, Ringwald stepped into the shoes of the angst-ridden Samantha, delivering another captivating performance that resonated with the teens of the generation. The film follows the high school sophomore on her 16th birthday, which is all but ruined by her sister’s nuptials (taking place the following day), and her family, who completely forget about the big day. The bittersweet comedy, however, ends on a high note with Samantha finally landing a kiss from her ultimate crush.
'The Breakfast Club' (1985)
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This classic teen drama brings together high school’s most celebrated stereotypes — the princess, the athlete, the misfit, and the bookworm — for an afternoon of detention where they discover they have much more in common than initially suspected.

Ringwald stars as Claire Standish, the snobbiest and most popular girl in school, who wound up in detention after skipping class to go shopping. Sadly, she gets off on the wrong foot with her classmates after insisting she doesn’t “belong in” detention.
'Fresh Horses'
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Two years after “Pretty In Pink”’s release, Ringwald reunited with Andrew McCarthy for another coming of age film that follows the story of Matt, a college student, and Jewel, a poor Kentucky girl. The film followed the pair as their drastically different lives collided -- all in the name of love.
'Pretty In Pink' (1986)
Paramount Pictures
Does it get any better than Molly Ringwald’s Andie Walsh in the 1986 cult classic, “Pretty In Pink”? As the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Ringwald manages to shine brightly alongside Jon Cryer and James Spader in the role that sees her fall in love with Blane (Spader), the preppiest of country club boys.
'Betsy's Wedding' (1990)
Touchtone Pictures
Here Ringwald is all grown up for the role of Betsy in the Alan Alda-directed romantic-comedy. Alda, who also stars as Betsy’s father, derails his daughter’s wedding plans in the hopes of impressing the groom’s highbrow parents.
'Not Another Teen Movie' (2001)
Original Film
Who better to call on than the original teen queen herself when it came time to parody the teen genre. Director Joel Gallen called on Ringwald to make a scene-stealing cameo in the 2001 film, enlisting her to star as a sarcastic flight attendant who stops lead character Janey Briggs from falling victim to a series of teen movie cliches.
'For Keeps' (1988)
Tri-Star
In yet another coming of age comedy drama, Ringwald stars as Darcy, a high school senior madly in love with her boyfriend Stan (Randall Batinkoff). After becoming pregnant with his baby, Darcy is forced to decide wether she should keep the baby or not.

With scenes exploring topics such as postpartum depression, the film is widely regarded as one of Ringwald’s best performances, and to many, it signalled the end of her teenage film days.

Molly Ringwald’s Best On-Screen Moments

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